


scheming plans

by knhknhknh



Series: can i put on my clothes first? [26]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Hints at DJWifi, but not really, they're just trying to get THEIR DUMB FRIENDS TOGETHER
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-18 22:23:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7333057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knhknhknh/pseuds/knhknhknh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ladrien june, day twenty-eight: the best friend knows</p><p>“I know she’s Ladybug!” He blurts, but it’s a whisper, because he understands the consequences of their situation if he’s too loud.</p><p> </p><p>  <em>Shit.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	scheming plans

**Author's Note:**

> so we're almost at the end and i can't believe this, wow. the support this series has gotten has gone beyond anything i could have ever imagined!! **there's an important thing about the end in the end notes, so make sure you read that!!**  
>  anyway, this isn't very ladrien-y but it's setting us up for the end, and besides, who doesn't love scheming djwifi?

“Hey, um, Alya?”

She’s almost down the steps of Françoise Dupont at the end of the day when she hears Nino’s voice. Quickly, she turns, adjusting the straps on her bag because she has a feeling it’s going to be a long conversation.

Call it journalistic perception. Or something like that.

“What’s up?”

He fidgets, fingers tapping along the headphones around his neck. Alya immediately realizes he’s nervous, which never happens with Nino. They don’t get nervous with each other--except when Nino decides he’s going to throw dumb one-liners and it makes her blush a little but he _does not_ need to know that!

Point is, something’s definitely wrong.

“Can we talk--in private? Like, go somewhere? Just--I just need to ask you something.”

She nods, carefully, but her hands itch to grab a notebook or her tape recorder or _something_ \--because this is definitely about to be big.

Nino motions with his hand to follow her, and as she walks behind him, Alya texts her mom to let her know she’s going to be late back home.

Outside the little café Nino leads her to, Alya almost has to stop and tell herself to _put her phone away,_ because it would be ridiculous to actually try and record this conversation with Nino. She has to stash away the reporter for just a little bit so she can be a good friend instead.

Whatever this was about.

Nino orders their coffees while Alya picks out a small, round table by the window. She watches people walk by before Nino sets the drinks down.

There’s a silence before he clears his throat.  

“So. I. Uh...” he taps his fingers once, twice, _three times_ on the lid of his coffee and his eyes dart around nervously. Alya tries to be patient, waiting for him to spit out whatever he needs so they can keep the conversation rolling. But she’s Alya, and it’s kind of hard to just sit by for the juicy scoop that she’s now desperately waiting for. She takes a sip of her own coffee, to try and make the need for information disappear.

But she’s Alya, and she can’t help but lose patience. “Nino, what _is_ it--”

“I know she’s Ladybug!” He blurts, but it’s a whisper, because he understands the consequences if their situation if he’s too loud.

_Shit._

Nino refuses to look at her, and she’s glad because her face contorts quickly, but she pulls it back to a straight one in almost a half second. There’s no way she’s revealing her best friend’s most-kept secret to a boy who _thinks_ he knows what he’s talking about!

_There’s no way. He couldn’t have--!_

“Who?” It’s the only thing she knows, to deny, because she can’t get her best friend out of this situation if she admits it. Alya desperately just wants to protect her, but she definitely can’t do that if she’s running around, confirming everyone’s suspicions.

Nino raises his eyebrows. “You _know_ who.”

“No, I don’t know,” Alya huffs. “Please, can you just specify who you’re talking abou--”

“Marin _ette!_ ” He hisses. Nino finally looks at her, and his eyes are serious. Alya doesn’t seem them like that very much. But when they are, it’s slightly terrifying.

She notes that down in her mental files: _Nino can be serious. (Scary? Just a little bit.)_

“Hmm,” she hums, already agitated. She can’t believe that Nino figured it out while she had to be _told_ by Marinette. “And why do you think this?”

That’s when Nino retreats again, eyes tearing away from her face as he blinks rapidly at the wall. He mumbles something unintelligible. She can vaguely register his leg shaking under the table.

“I, um..” Nino pulls his collar away from his neck, giving something for his nervous, ever-moving hands to do. “I may have...you know…overheard a conversation?”

The only reason his voice cracks is because he knows Alya's going to kill him. And she might, because there was no way that Nino could have heard anything about the Ladybug business unless he was _spying_ on them!

Alya glares across the table, leaning towards a jumpy Nino.

Later, he describes her face as homicidal.

“ _What_ conversation?” Alya’s hands grip the table, and Nino thinks it might break under her anger. He gulps, sweating under her scowl.

“L-last week!” He squeaks. “You guys w-were talking about visiting Adrien and I just…” Suddenly Nino’s eyes go hard again, determined. “I _had_ to know because he’s driving himself crazy over this.”

Alya softens, leaning back in her chair. “You’re just _worrie,_ ” she murmurs to herself. It’s kind of reassuring that Nino is only looking out for his best friend.

It’s the same exact thing Alya would do anyway.

They fall into a comfortable lull in the conversation, both drinking their respective coffees before Nino speaks again.

“And that’s why I have to tell you something else, too,” Nino adds gravely. “Because I know who Chat Noir is.”

Alya’s eyes almost jump out of her head alone.

 _How the hell would Nino know that?_ She thinks. _Unless Chat Noir is someone he’s really close to--_

“Please don’t say it,” Alya mutters under her breath. If it’s exactly who she thinks it is, it’s going to make things a lot more complicated. And things will probably end okay for the two idiots, but right now things aren’t looking good.

It’s a mutual understanding. Nino and Alya are like that, they can talk with their eyes and their hands They click well--and it’s a true gift. Some things can’t be said aloud like that.

Nino only nods. “They’ve been walking around in circles for months.”

Her head drops into her waiting palms. “How are we supposed to _tell them?_ ” It’s muffled, but Nino understands exactly where she’s coming from.

“You know Adrien,” Nino shrugs. “He’s wanted to tell her the entire time. Not that he knows it’s Marinette, but I’m pretty sure he’s got a hunch. Because lately, he’s been watching her every step all week, exactly like he does Ladybug.”

She considers Adrien’s behavior from the last week. And Nino’s right, because she can only conjure images of him following Marinette around like an adoring puppy.

Or, she guesses, an adoring kitten.

Or something.

She takes a sip of her coffee, processing Nino’s words. “The thing is,” she begins, “They’ll both probably be thrilled, right? After the initial shock and after realizing that we set it up and compromised their identities.”

For the first time since he asked her to talk in front of the steps, he grins. “What makes you think we’re setting anything up?”

Alya gives him a playful smirk. “You wouldn’t have brought anything up if we weren't getting involved.”

“We know they can’t do anything themselves,” Nino snorts. “Which is exactly why I already had a plan in place.”

Alya smiles at that. Leave it to Nino to already have started scheming. “Sneaky,” she comments, smirking again.

“As usual.” Nino twirls his drink in his hand, the coffee sloshing low in the cup. “So, you know how Adrien invited Ladybug to his show?”

She rolls her eyes. Of course, she’d already heard about it. Marinette being invited to an Agreste fashion show was literally the highlight of her week, currently.

Except that now, _this_ news about their dumb friends was taking the place quickly.

“Marinette started making a dress a while back,” Alya mentions. “I know everything already. What about it?”

“We convince her to go as herself and lock them in a dressing room or something after Adrien’s all done.”

At first, she scoffs, rolling her eyes before she truly thinks about the plan.

_Marinette’s dress is already red and black._

_Wearing it over the suit would be dumb._

_It’ll give them time to talk things out._

_Maybe they’ll be all over each other enough and they’ll forget about how mad they are at us._

_All the drama will be over and they’ll be happy._

She adds up the good things, and it definitely promises equal success to everyone involved.

And it definitely gives two best friends a final sense of relief.

“We'll have to tweak it, but...Nino...you’re a genius.”

He leans back in his chair with a smug smile. “I knew you’d come around.”

Of course, Alya just kicks him in the shin under the table. “Stop gloating. This is for our _friends_.”

“You’re right,” Nino’s serious again. He digs through this bag, pulling a piece of crumpled paper and a pen out. He tried to flatten it as much as he can before he looks Alya dead in the eye. “The show is this weekend, so here’s what we’ll do…”

**Author's Note:**

> so! i'm letting you all decide how this series ends, because you all have been so wonderful and amazing! the vote asks if it should end with a reveal or no reveal, so [vote here](http://www.strawpoll.me/10616588) because i'm going to close it right before i start writing on the 30th. i have ideas in mind for both, so please please let me know what you want to see!! (especially since i'm skipping the twenty-ninth because i'm lazy. im so so sorry but it doesn't fit, you know??) 
> 
> comment/give kudos/ect if you liked it!! thanks for reading!!! :) follow/bother/talk to me at [ladriened](http://ladriened.tumblr.com) on tumblr!!


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